RWANDA has been drawn against 2010 World Cup bound team Ivory Coast for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The draws were made yesterday in Lubumbashi, DR Congo.

Benin and Burundi are Rwanda’s other opponents in a group which promises to be tricky for the country’s quest for only its second appearance at the Nations’ Cup finals following the maiden qualification in 2004.

African champions Egypt were drawn against former champions South Africa and Sierra Leone in Group 7.

Newly appointed Amavubi Stars’ coach Sellas Tetteh faces a huge test in achieving his main objective of qualifying the country for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals which will be co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Tetteh will be required to finish as Group 8 leaders or as one of the best three qualifiers if Amavubi Stars are to qualify for the continent’s biggest competition.

Elsewhere, Uganda were drawn in Group 10 against Angola, neighbors Kenya and Guinea Bissau. Four-time champions Cameroon will play Senegal, DR Congo and lowly Mauritius in Group Five.

World Cup finalists Algeria are in Group Four with Morocco, Tanzania and the Central African Republic.
Nigeria also faces a tough task as they are in Group Two to play Guinea, Ethiopia and Madagascar.

Ghana, who finished second at the recent Cup of Nations, were drawn alongside Congo, Sudan and Swaziland.

Togo were not in yesterday’s draw but could still be included at a later date if their appeal over a ban from the next two Nations Cups with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) is successful.

Togo was controversially banned from the 2012 and 2014 Nations Cups by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) because of ‘government interference’ after withdrawing from the 2010 tournament.

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